Topical and oral formulations comprising taurine and magnesium for the prevention and treatment of acne

ABSTRACT

Topical and oral compositions for treating and/or preventing acne are disclosed. The compositions include effective amounts of taurine and magnesium, wherein the effective amounts are sufficient to treat and/or prevent the acne. A method for treating and/or preventing acne in a subject in need thereof is also disclosed. The method includes administering to the subject topical and/or oral compositions including taurine and magnesium in amounts sufficient to treat and/or prevent the acne.

PRIORITY AND CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/179,815, filed Jun. 10, 2016, which is to be issued as U.S. Pat.No. 9,795,633 on Oct. 24, 2017, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/180,842, filed Jun. 17, 2015, the entiredisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND

The present embodiments relate to compositions and methods for theprevention and treatment of acne. In particular, a topical gel, atopical cream and/or an oral supplement comprising taurine and magnesiumare disclosed for prevention and/or treatment of acne.

The pilosebaceous units of the skin consist of the sebaceous glands,sebaceous ducts, and their attached hair follicles. Acne (vulgaris) is adisease characterized by a clogging of the skin's pilosebaceous units bythe sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. Lipogenesis is lipidproduction, which occurs in cells of sebaceous glands to produce sebumfor the skin, and which can lead to acne when it becomes excessive.Lipid droplets in the sebaceous glands store the lipids produced by thesebaceous glands.

Acne has generally been considered to be an insolvable problem. Acneaffects almost all people at some time during life, usually duringteenage and young adult years, when sebum production increases inresponse to an increase in the body of androgen production thattypically occurs during these years. Acne is also fairly common inmid-adulthood, and can even occur during early childhood. Acne canbecome chronic, and can have large negative impact on quality-of-life.

Many topical and oral treatments for acne exist, yet none are generallyconsidered to be cures. In this sense, the field of acne treatment is“crowded art”, having only imperfect solutions. Some prescription acnemedicines have serious side effects, and so are not consideredcompletely safe (e.g., isotretinoin, which is teratogenic). Thus therehas been a long-felt need for a good solution to the problem of acne.

SUMMARY

A composition for treating and/or preventing an acne condition isprovided. In some embodiments, the composition comprises an effectiveamount of taurine and an effective amount of magnesium, wherein theeffective amounts of taurine and magnesium are sufficient in combinationto treat and/or prevent the acne condition. In some embodiments, thecomposition is a topical gel or a topical cream. In some embodiments ofthe composition, the amount of taurine is in a range of about 200 mg toabout 2 g per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. In some embodiments ofthe composition, the amount of magnesium is in a range of about 40 mg toabout 400 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. In someembodiments, the composition further comprises a pharmaceuticallyacceptable carrier. In some embodiments, the composition is an oralsupplement. In some embodiments of the composition, the oral supplementis a capsule or a tablet or a powder. In some embodiments of thecomposition, the amount of taurine is in a range of about 500 to about3000 mg per capsule or per tablet or per unit dose of powder. In someembodiments of the composition, the amount of magnesium is in a range ofabout 50 to about 300 mg per capsule or per tablet or per unit dose ofpowder. In some embodiments, the composition further comprises one ormore micronutrients, wherein the one or more micronutrients selectedfrom the group consisting of vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, and choline maysupport functions of taurine and magnesium in one or more pilosebaceousunits, or wherein the composition further comprises one or moremicronutrients, wherein the one or more micronutrients selected from thegroup consisting of including vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3,vitamin B5, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, Folic Acid, Calcium, Iron,Phosphorous, Iodine, Potassium, Selenium, Manganese, Copper, Inositol,Omega 3 fatty acids, Lycopene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin may help overallskin functioning.

A method for treating and/or preventing an acne condition in a subjectin need thereof is provided. In some embodiments, the method comprisesadministering to the subject a composition comprising taurine andmagnesium in amounts sufficient to treat and/or prevent the acnecondition. In some embodiments of the method, administering comprisestopically applying the composition in the form of a topical gel or atopical cream. In some embodiments of the method, the amount of taurineis in a range of about 200 mg to about 2 g per ½ teaspoon of the gel orthe cream. In some embodiments of the method, the amount of magnesium isin a range of about 40 mg to about 400 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel orthe cream. In some embodiments of the method, administering comprisesorally administering the composition in a form of an oral supplement. Insome embodiments of the method, the oral supplement is a tablet or acapsule or a powder. In some embodiments of the method, the amount oftaurine is in a range of about 500 to about 3000 mg per capsule or pertablet or per unit dose of powder. In some embodiments of the method,the amount of magnesium is in a range of about 50 to about 300 mg percapsule or per tablet or per unit dose of powder. In some embodiments,the method further comprises assessing a severity of the acne, andvarying a dose of the composition administered, such that lower dosagesare administered in mild cases and higher dosages are administered insevere cases. In some embodiments of the method, the dose is a singledaily or a multiple daily dose. In some embodiments of the method, thecomposition further comprises one or more micronutrients selected fromthe group consisting of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3,vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E,vitamin K, Folic Acid, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Iodine,Potassium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Copper, Choline, Inositol, Omega 3fatty acids, Lycopene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin. In another variation ofthe method, the administering comprises both topically applying a doseof the composition in the form of a topical gel or a topical cream, andorally administering a dose of the composition in the form of an oralsupplement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One reason that the problem of acne has remained unsolved is that manydermatologists have traditionally regarded acne as a normal part ofpuberty. Evidence has shown, however, that acne is not an inherent partof the human condition, as it does not seem to occur among humans whosediets and ways of life resemble the diets and ways of life to whichhumans are naturally adapted. Because acne in modern environments occursextremely commonly, it has not been obvious to dermatologists that thepilosebaceous units have specialized physiological mechanisms whosefunction is to prevent acne from occurring. Therefore, dermatologistshave not identified the mechanisms in the pilosebaceous units that arenaturally designed to limit sebaceous oil production and oil build-upand to thereby prevent clogging. Such mechanisms and their biochemicaltriggers have not been identified before. Therefore, it has not beenshown before that these biochemical triggers are particularmicronutrients, that chronic insufficiencies of these particularmicronutrients can lead to acne, and that supplementation with thesemicronutrients at certain doses can often reverse the disease of acne.

Embodiments of this disclosure relate generally to the use of taurineand magnesium in combination for the treatment or prevention of acne.The combination therapy may include oral delivery, topical delivery orboth oral and topical delivery. A surprising observation is that thedosages of supplemental taurine that are efficacious against acne aremuch higher than typical dietary dosages of taurine; whereas the dosagesof supplemental magnesium that together with taurine are efficacious arein the range of typical dietary dosages. While both taurine andmagnesium or derivatives thereof have been used as individual activeingredients in the treatment of acne, the combination has not been usedbefore for acne. Taurine and magnesium have not been identified beforeas triggering a sequence of lipid-regulating mechanisms in thepilosebaceous units that prevent acne.

US patent publication US20050008684 A1 (Herdeis and Weis) teaches tworelated taurine derivatives, taurolidine and taurultam, used inpharmaceutical compositions to treat acne; magnesium was not disclosed.U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,656 (Mann) teaches an acne formulation comprisingmagnesium, as well as many vitamins, minerals, and thymic peptides; notaurine was used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,977 (Gaull) teaches an acneformulation comprising taurine, together with isotretinoin, but nomagnesium was used. U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,517 (Murad) teaches an acneformulation comprising inter alia magnesium and an amino acid; notaurine is disclosed. Although taurine is an organic acid with an aminegroup, it is not an amino acid in the strict biochemical sense becauseit lacks a carboxyl group, nor was it included among the amino acidsthat Murad disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,955,610 (Tanthapanichakoon et al)discloses an antimicrobial acne treatment that comprises magnesiumsilicate, but no taurine. U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,875 (Chiou) teaches atopical formulation for treating acne comprising one or more polyvalentmetal compounds, including magnesium; no taurine is disclosed. US patentUS20040214891 A1 (J. Marcinkiewicz, A. Kasprowicz) discloses a topicalacne formulation comprising taurine-bromamine; no magnesium isdisclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,757 A (McCarty) teaches use of magnesiumtaurate for the treatment of stroke. U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,504 A (McCarty)teaches use of magnesium taurate for prevention and treatment ofpre-eclampsia and for acute cardiac conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,601A (Durlach) discloses a taurine derivative and divalent metal saltsthereof, including magnesium salts for neuromuscular activityreinforcement; neither taurine nor magnesium are disclosed as individualingredients. European patent EP2318011A2 (Levis) teaches compositionsfor the treatment of acne comprising taurine together with standard acnemedications; no magnesium is disclosed. The product “Magnesium Gel” byAncient Minerals (accessible on the World Wide Web atancient-minerals.com) is transdermal magnesium in gel form; it containsno taurine. The product “Magnesium+Taurine” by Advanced OrthomolecularResearch (AOR) (accessible on the World Wide Web at aor.ca) is an oralsupplement comprising magnesium and taurine for cardiovascular andneurological support. The product is not directed to the treatment ofacne. The oral supplement product “Mag-K-Taurine” by AOR provideselectrolytes magnesium, potassium, and taurine for the purpose ofimproving nerve and heart function; it is not a treatment for acne, anddoes not come in a topical gel/cream form. None of the prior art isbased on the unobvious mechanisms of actions of taurine and magnesium inthe pilosebaceous units that are presented in the following section.

Taurine and Magnesium—a Combined Role in Sebaceous Gland LipidMetabolism

Taurine is a free amino acid synthesized by the body as well as obtainedin diet through meat, fish, and milk. It is not one of the alpha aminoacids which serve as building blocks for proteins. Most commerciallyavailable taurine is synthesized in laboratories. Taurine in thesebaceous glands likely helps stop excess lipogenesis, by binding as aninhibitory ligand to the LXR-alpha (liver X receptor-alpha). TheLXR-alpha is a receptor that is expressed by many cell types, includingcells of the sebaceous glands, and that usually induces lipogenesis whenactivated by a ligand. The main evidence that taurine haltsLXR-alpha-induced lipogenesis is a study by Hoang et al., MolecularNutrition & Food Research, 56:900-911 (2012) showing experimentally inliver cells in vitro that taurine is a ligand of LXR-alpha that inhibitslipogenesis, resulting in a dose-dependent marked reduction in cellularlipid levels. Taurine is likely to have the same LXR-alpha-relatedfunction of reducing lipogenesis in sebaceous glands that it has inliver cells. A reduction of lipogenesis in the sebaceous glands resultsin a reduction of sebum and consequently less chance of sebum cloggingthe pilosebaceous units. Taurine thus appears to be part of theregulatory feedback system that keeps sebaceous lipogenesis in check.

Magnesium is a mineral. Magnesium likely helps activate the breakdown ofthe large lipid droplets in the sebaceous glands/sebaceous ducts viamagnesium-activated protein kinase phosphorylation of the lipid dropletsurface protein perilipin. This process allows perilipin to directlipolysis of lipid droplets, fragmenting them into many microlipiddroplets and dispersing them. Support for this activity of magnesiumcomes from the following two pieces of information taken together:protein kinase A phosphorylation of perilipin A has been shown in fatcells to drive the rapid fragmentation and dispersion of lipid droplets(A. Marcinkiewicz et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry,281:11901-11909 (2006)); magnesium plays an activating role in proteinkinase A phosphorylation (Adams, Chemical Reviews, 101:2271-2290(2001)). Magnesium likely has the same effect of activating lipolysis ofthe large perilipin-coated lipid droplets in the sebaceous glands/ductsthat it does of the lipid droplets of fat cells. A fragmentation of thelarge lipid droplets into micro-droplets may help prevent the cloggingof the pilosebaceous units.

Taurine and magnesium have been found to work synergistically, in thattaurine can facilitate the transport of magnesium across cell membranes.Accordingly, in the human studies described in the EXAMPLES section, thesimultaneous use of taurine with magnesium has been found to treat acnemuch better than either taurine or magnesium used alone.

Topical Compositions Comprising Taurine and Magnesium

In some embodiments, a composition for the prevention and/or treatmentof acne is provided. The composition may be a topical gel or a topicalcream or an oral supplement. In some embodiments, the compositioncomprises at least two active ingredients. The active ingredients may bemicronutrients. In some embodiments of the composition, the two activeingredients are taurine and magnesium. In some embodiments, one of thetwo active ingredients is present at a relatively high concentration. Insome embodiments, one of the two active ingredients is present at arelatively low concentration. One of the two active ingredients isproduced synthetically in the standard ways.

In some embodiments, the subject is in need of a composition to preventacne. In a variation, a topical composition is administered to thesubject. The topical composition administered to the subject may be atopical gel. The topical composition administered to the subject may bea topical cream. In some embodiments, the subject is administered anoral composition. In other embodiments, the subject is in need of one orboth of the topical compositions. In another variation, the subject isin need of one or both of the topical compositions and the oralcomposition. Alternatively, prevention and/or treatment of the acne maybe effected by administration of just the oral dosage form.

In some embodiments, the subject is in need of a treatment for acne. Thesubject is in need of a composition for the treatment for acne. In someembodiments, a topical composition is administered to the subject. Thetopical composition administered to the subject may be a topical gel.The topical composition administered to the subject may be a topicalcream. In some embodiments, the subject is administered an oralcomposition. In other embodiments, the subject is in need of one or bothof the topical compositions. In another variation, the subject is inneed of one or both of the topical compositions and the oralcomposition.

Taurine and magnesium are likely involved in mechanisms that reducelipogenesis in the sebaceous glands of the skin, and activate thebreakdown of large lipid droplets of the sebaceous glands or sebaceousducts. A topical composition can achieve rapid penetration of taurineand magnesium into skin. Thus, in some embodiments a topical compositionis provided. The topical composition comprises taurine and magnesium. Insome embodiments, the topical composition comprising taurine andmagnesium can achieve rapid penetration of taurine and magnesium intoskin. The topical composition may be referred to herein as “topicaltau-mag.”

In some embodiments, a topical composition for the prevention of acne isprovided. In some embodiments, a topical composition for the treatmentof acne is provided. In some embodiments, the composition is a topicalgel or a topical cream that comprises at least two active ingredients.The two active ingredients may be two micronutrients. In someembodiments, the two micronutrients are taurine and magnesium. In someembodiments, taurine is present in high concentrations and magnesium ispresent in low concentrations. The taurine may be produced syntheticallyin the standard ways.

In some embodiments, the dose of taurine is about 3 g per day. The doseof taurine may be from about 0.5 to about 6 g per day. In someembodiments, the dose of taurine is equal to about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5,3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 or 6 g per day or within a range defined by anytwo of the aforementioned values. The dose of taurine in the topicalcomposition may be greater than about 0.1 g per day and less than about20 g per day. In another variation, the topical composition comprisestaurine in a range of about 200 mg to about 2 g per ½ teaspoon of atopical gel or a topical cream.

The topical composition may additionally comprise a low dose ofmagnesium. The magnesium in tau-mag may be magnesium citrate, magnesiumchloride, magnesium oxide or some other form of magnesium. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is about 200 mg per day. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is from about 25 to about 500 mg perday. In some embodiments, the dose of magnesium is equal to about 25,50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500 mg per day or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The dose ofmagnesium in the topical composition may be greater than about 1 mg perday and less than about 1 g per day. In another variation, the topicalcomposition comprises magnesium in a range of about 40 mg to about 400mg per ½ teaspoon of a topical gel or a topical cream.

In some embodiments, the topical composition is used for about 1 day toabout 21 days. In some embodiments, the topical composition is used for1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or21 days or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues. In some embodiments, the topical composition is used for about 1to about 52 weeks. In some embodiments, the topical composition is usedfor 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21,22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 30 weeks or within a range defined byany two of the aforementioned values.

The topical composition may be used as divided doses per day. In someembodiments, the topical composition is used as about 2 to about 12divided doses per day. In some embodiments, the topical composition isused as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 divided doses per day orwithin a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. In someembodiments, the topical composition is used as multiple doses per day.In some embodiments, the topical composition is used as about 2 to about12 multiple doses per day. In some embodiments, the topical compositionis used as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 multiple doses per dayor within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values.

In some embodiments, the age of the subject is from about 10 to about 70years. The age of the subject may be 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50,55, 60, 65 or 70 years or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values. In some embodiments, the age of the subject islower than about 10 years. In some embodiments, the age of the subjectis higher than about 70 years. In some embodiments, the sex of thesubject is a male. In some embodiments, the sex of the subject is afemale. In some embodiments, the subject has had acne for about 1 day.In some embodiments, the subject has had acne for less than 5 years. Insome embodiments, the subject has had acne for about 5 years. In someembodiments, the subject has had acne for more than about 5 years. Insome embodiments, the weight of the subject is from about 100 to about250 lbs. In some embodiments, the weight of the subject is lower thanabout 100 lbs. In some embodiments, the weight of the subject is higherthan about 250 lbs.

In some embodiments, the subject has not tried other acne remedies. Insome embodiments, the subject has tried other acne remedies. In someembodiments, the subject has unsuccessfully tried other acne remedies.In some embodiments, the relief from acne from other remedies was lessthan about 50%. In some embodiments, the relief from acne from otherremedies was about 5 to about 50%. In some embodiments, the relief fromacne from other remedies was equal to about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35,40, 45 or 50% or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues.

In some embodiments, the relief from acne from topical tau-mag may beabout 80 to about 100%. In some embodiments, the relief from acne fromtopical tau-mag may be equal to about 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95,96, 97, 98, 99 or 100% or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values.

In some embodiments, the topical composition additionally may compriseother micronutrients such as vitamins. In some embodiments, the topicalcomposition additionally may comprise other micronutrients such asminerals. In some embodiments, the topical composition additionally maycomprise other vitamins and minerals. In some embodiments, the topicalcomposition additionally may comprise one or more micronutrients,wherein the one or more micronutrients is selected from the groupconsisting of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5,vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K,Folic Acid, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Iodine, Potassium, Zinc,Selenium, Manganese, Copper, Choline, Inositol, Omega 3 fatty acids,Lycopene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

In some embodiments, the subject has mild acne. In some embodiments, thesubject has moderate acne. In some embodiments, the subject has severeacne. In some embodiments, the subject has mild-moderate acne. In someembodiments, the subject has moderate-severe acne. In some embodiments,topical tau-mag may be partially effective. In some embodiments, topicaltau-mag may be about 80 to about 99% effective. In some embodiments,topical tau-mag is 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99%effective or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues. In some embodiments, topical tau-mag is fully effective. In someembodiments, topical tau-mag may be about 100% effective. Topicaltau-mag may mitigate scars due to acne. Topical tau-mag may mitigatescars due to mild acne. Topical tau-mag may mitigate scars due tomoderate acne. Topical tau-mag may mitigate scars due to severe acne.Scarring from acne may be reduced about 20 to about 80% by topicaltau-mag. Scarring from acne may be reduced equal to about 20, 25, 30,35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80% by topical tau-mag or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values.

In some embodiments, topical compositions comprising high-dose taurine(about 3 g per day) together with low-dose magnesium (about 200 mg perday) may be very effective against mild-moderate acne, and may bepartially effective against severe acne.

In some embodiments, topical compositions comprising high-dose taurine(about 3 g per day, in divided doses) in combination with low-dosemagnesium (about 200 mg magnesium per day, in divided doses) may improvemild-moderate acne about 90 to about 100% within about 4 to about 12weeks.

The formulation may be a topical anti-acne gel/cream. The goal ofapplying a topical formulation is to achieve rapid penetration oftaurine and magnesium into the pilosebaceous units of the skin.Depending on the severity of acne, either an oral formulation or atopical formulation or both an oral and a topical formulation may beused by the subject in need thereof. In some cases, the oral and/ortopical formulation may be combined with other micronutrients such asvitamins and/or minerals.

In some variations, topical tau-mag may be a squeezable tube or a jar,of any pharmacological size and dimension, of anti-acne topical gel orcream. In some embodiments, contents of topical tau-mag are taurine,magnesium and a vehicle (pharmaceutical carrier of dermatologicalagents) gel or cream comprised of inactive ingredients and preferablyaqueous-based. For each ½ teaspoon of topical tau-mag gel/cream, theamount of taurine contained in it may be in a range of about 200 mg toabout 2 g, and the amount of magnesium contained in it may be in a rangeof about 20 mg to about 400 mg.

The composition of the vehicle may be selected so as to be easy to applyand remove, be nonirritant, non-allergenic, chemically stable,homogenous, and pharmacologically inert. In some embodiments, vehiclegels/creams such as this are well known in pharmaceutical and aestheticsindustries by those skilled in the art of manufacturing gels/creams. Insome embodiments, taurine and magnesium would be mixed into the vehicleto form the gel/cream. As an example, the use of topical tau-mag iscontemplated to be as follows: a subject in need of topical tau-magwould collect about ⅛ to about ½ teaspoon of gel/cream either from atube of topical tau-mag or from a jar of topical tau-mag on a suitabledevice and apply it to an affected area of the body. The affected areacan be the face, parts of the neck, chest, and back, and/or otheraffected bodily areas.

Treatment compositions based on nanoparticles are under investigation asnovel treatments of acne vulgaris and other skin lesions. Because oftheir unique physical properties, including their high surface area tosize ratio, nanoparticles are ideal for use in various skin careproducts currently on the market because of their ability for enhancedmobility within any environment in the body. The benefits, side-effectsand long-term consequences of using nanoparticles in therapeutic and/orcosmetic compositions are currently being actively explored (WiesenthalA et al., International Journal of Dermatology, March; 50(3):247-54(2011)).

Thus, in some embodiments, the composition may be topically deliveredusing nanoparticles. The nanoparticles comprise those that can be usedfor dermatological purposes. In some embodiments, nanoparticles can beused for topical spot treatment of, without limitation, one or more ofmild/sporadic or break-out lesions, acute impending lesions or severeacne.

It is understood in the art that an active ingredient in a compositionmay require a different vehicle for optimized therapy depending on theconcentration of the active ingredient used for therapy. Therefore, oneof ordinary skill in the art may decide which vehicle to use on a caseby case basis. An example of inactive ingredients in a topicalcomposition may comprise carbomer (gelling agent), purified water(solvent), potassium sorbate (preservative), propylene glycol(permeation enhancer). Additional examples of excipients in topicalformulations can be found in Chang et al., The AAPS Journal, 15:41-52(2013), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Insome embodiments, the inactive ingredients may be selected fromacrylates copolymer, carbomer 940, docusate sodium, edetate disodium,glycerin, poloxamer 182, propylene glycol, purified water, silicondioxide, sodium hydroxide. In another variation, inactive ingredients ina topical composition may comprise carbomer, disodium EDTA,hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, laureth-4, sodium hydroxide, water.Additional examples of topical formulations can be found in Raphael etal., Therapeutic Delivery, February 6, 2:197-216 (2015), which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

Oral Compositions Comprising Taurine and Magnesium

In some embodiments an oral composition is provided. In someembodiments, the oral composition comprises taurine and magnesium. Theoral composition may be referred to herein as “oral tau-mag.” In someembodiments, the “oral tau-mag” is an oral supplement comprisinghigh-dose taurine and low-dose magnesium. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition comprises a high dose of taurine. The magnesium in tau-magmay be magnesium citrate, magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide or someother form of magnesium. In some embodiments, the dose of taurine isabout 3 g per day. In some embodiments, the dose of taurine is fromabout 0.5 to about 6 g per day. In some embodiments, the dose of taurineis equal to about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 or 6 g perday or within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values.The dose of taurine in the oral composition may be greater than about0.1 g per day and less than about 20 g per day. In another variation,the oral supplement is a tablet or a capsule or a powder comprisingtaurine in a range of about 500 to about 1500 mg per capsule or pertablet or per unit dose of powder. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition additionally comprises a low dose of magnesium. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is about 200 mg per day. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is from about 25 to about 500 mg perday. In some embodiments, the dose of magnesium is equal to about 25,50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500 mg per day or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values.

The dose of magnesium in the oral composition may be greater than about1 mg per day and less than about 1 g per day. In another variation, theoral supplement is a tablet or a capsule or a powder comprisingmagnesium in a range of about 50 to about 150 mg per capsule or pertablet or per unit dose of powder. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition is taken for about 1 day to about 21 days. In someembodiments, the oral composition is taken for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 days or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values. In someembodiments, the oral composition is taken for about 1 to about 52weeks. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken for 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26, 27, 28, 29 or 30 weeks or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values.

In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken as divided doses perday. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken as about 2 toabout 12 divided doses per day. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition is taken as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 divideddoses per day or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken as multipledoses per day. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken asabout 2 to about 12 multiple doses per day. In some embodiments, theoral composition is taken as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12multiple doses per day or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values. In some embodiments, the age of the subject isfrom about 10 to about 70 years. In some embodiments, the age of thesubject is 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 years orwithin a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. In someembodiments, the age of the subject is lower than about 10 years. Insome embodiments, the age of the subject is higher than about 70 years.In some embodiments, the sex of the subject is a male. In someembodiments, the sex of the subject is a female. In some embodiments,the subject has had acne for about 1 day. In some embodiments, thesubject has had acne for less than 5 years. In some embodiments, thesubject has had acne for about 5 years. In some embodiments, the subjecthas had acne for more than about 5 years. In some embodiments, theweight of the subject is from about 100 to about 250 lbs. In someembodiments, the weight of the subject is lower than about 100 lbs. Insome embodiments, the weight of the subject is higher than about 250lbs.

In some embodiments, the subject has not tried other acne remedies. Insome embodiments, the subject has tried other acne remedies. In someembodiments, the subject has unsuccessfully tried other acne remedies.In some embodiments, the relief from acne from other remedies was lessthan about 50%. In some embodiments, the relief from acne from otherremedies was about 5 to about 50%. In some embodiments, the relief fromacne from other remedies was equal to about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35,40, 45 or 50% or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues.

In some embodiments, the relief from acne from “oral tau-mag” was about80 to about 100%. In some embodiments, the relief from acne from “oraltau-mag” was equal to about 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98,99 or 100% or within a range defined by any two of the aforementionedvalues.

Oral tau-mag may mitigate scars due to acne. Oral tau-mag may mitigatescars due to mild acne. Oral tau-mag may mitigate scars due to moderateacne. Oral tau-mag may mitigate scars due to severe acne. Scarring fromacne may be reduced by about 20% to about 80% by topical tau-mag.Scarring from acne may be reduced by about 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50,55, 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80% by topical tau-mag or within a range definedby any two of the aforementioned values.

In some embodiments, the oral composition additionally comprises othermicronutrients such as vitamins. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition additionally comprises other micronutrients such asminerals. In some embodiments, the oral composition additionallycomprises other vitamins and minerals. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition additionally comprises one or more micronutrients, whereinthe one or more micronutrients is selected from the group consisting ofvitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6,vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, Folic Acid,Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Iodine, Potassium, Zinc, Selenium,Manganese, Copper, Choline, Inositol, Omega 3 fatty acids, Lycopene,Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

In some embodiments, the subject has mild acne. In some embodiments, thesubject has moderate acne. In some embodiments, the subject has severeacne. In some embodiments, the subject has mild-moderate acne. In someembodiments, the subject has moderate-severe acne. In some embodiments,“oral tau-mag” is partially effective. In some embodiments, “oraltau-mag” is about 80 to about 99% effective. In some embodiments, “oraltau-mag” is 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% effectiveor within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. Insome embodiments, “oral tau-mag” is fully effective. In someembodiments, “oral tau-mag” is about 100% effective.

In some embodiments, oral supplements comprising high-dose taurine(about 3 g per day) together with low-dose magnesium (about 200 mg perday) can be very effective against mild-moderate acne, and can bepartially effective against severe acne.

In some embodiments, oral supplementation with high-dose taurine oralsupplementation (about 3 g per day, in divided doses) in combinationwith low-dose magnesium (about 200 mg magnesium per day, in divideddoses) improves mild-moderate acne about 90 to about 100% within about 4to about 12 weeks in adults.

In some embodiments, “oral tau-mag′ is a formulation such as a capsule,caplet, tablet, other pill form, or powder. A subject in need of theformulation can take about 0.25-about 12 unit doses per day. The unitdose can be taken as a single dose or can be taken as a divided dose.The active ingredients of the formulation are a high dose of taurine anda low dose of magnesium. In some embodiments, each unit dose of theformulation comprises between about 200 mg to about 2 g taurine andabout 50 mg to about 150 mg magnesium. The dose of taurine may be about3 g per day. In some cases, the dose of taurine may range from about 0.5to about 6 g per day. In some embodiments, the dose of taurine is equalto about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 or 6 g per day orwithin a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The doseof taurine in the oral composition may be greater than about 0.1 g perday and less than about 20 g per day. In all embodiments, the oralcomposition additionally comprises a low dose of magnesium. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is about 200 mg per day. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is from about 25 to about 500 mg perday. In some embodiments, the dose of magnesium is equal to about 25,50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500 mg per day or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The dose ofmagnesium in the oral composition may be greater than about 1 mg per dayand less than about 1 g per day. The dose of magnesium may be equal toabout 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500 mg per dayor within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values.

In addition to the active ingredients, the formulation may have inactiveingredients, such as a coating of pills, coloring agents for capsules,etc. The coating may comprise standard coating ingredients such asmagnesium stearate and cellulose. The coating may be such that it allowsfor a timed-release of the active ingredients. The formulation may besold in a pharmaceutical/nutraceutical bottle.

It is understood in the art that an active ingredient in a compositionmay require a different vehicle for optimized therapy depending on theconcentration of the active ingredient used for therapy. Therefore, oneof ordinary skill in the art may decide which vehicle to use on a caseby case basis. An example of inactive ingredients in an oral compositionmay comprise cellulose (stabilizer, thickener), magnesium stearate (flowagent), and silicon dioxide (glidant). Additional examples of excipientsin oral formulations can be found in Dave, Drug Topics, Oct. 24, 2008,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Additionalexamples of oral formulations can be found in Mitragotri et al., NatureReviews Drug Discovery, 13:655-672 (2014), which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Additional Embodiments

In some embodiments, an anti-acne kit is provided. The anti-acne kit maycomprise only topical tau-mag. The kit may comprise only oral tau-mag.In another variation, the kit may comprise both topical tau-mag and oraltau-mag. The kit may contain topical tau-mag and an oral supplementcomprising various other micronutrients such as vitamins and mineralsthat may aid in effectiveness of taurine and magnesium against acne. Thekit may contain oral tau-mag and an oral supplement comprising variousother micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals that may aid ineffectiveness of taurine and magnesium against acne. The kit maycomprise topical tau-mag, oral tau-mag and an oral supplement comprisingvarious other micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals that may aidin effectiveness of taurine and magnesium against acne. In someembodiments, the kit may comprise enough topical tau-mag and oraltau-mag to provide an average user with about 2-16 weeks of treatment.

The main reason to provide a kit of topical tau-mag and oral tau-magthat additionally comprises oral supplements from among an assortment ofother micronutrients is to help prevent micronutrient deficiencies thatcould interfere with treatment of the skin. Most micronutrients areknown to have effects on the skin, so trying to ensure that the skinobtains adequate levels of such micronutrients could potentially helpwith the ability of topical tau-mag and oral tau-mag to heal or preventacne. Thus, in some embodiments, a kit is provided that comprisestopical tau-mag and oral tau-mag, and additionally comprises oralsupplements from among an assortment of other micronutrients, in orderto help prevent micronutrient deficiencies that might interfere withtreatment of the skin. Most micronutrients are important for some aspectof skin health, such as the healing of lesions. And certainmicronutrients appear to support the specific functions of taurine andmagnesium in the pilosebaceous units. For example, vitamins D and Aappear to facilitate taurine transport across cell membranes; cholinehelps to maintain the correct size and shape of the lipid droplets,which may be necessary for magnesium to effectively catalyze theirsmooth breakup to microdroplets. Since a deficiency in such supportivemicronutrients could hinder the ability of taurine and magnesium toadequately perform their functions in the pilosebaceous units,supplementation with these micronutrients during tau-mag treatment mayaid in the reduction or prevention of acne. The oral supplements ofadditional micronutrients for the kit could resemble a standardmultivitamin/mineral supplement, with doses selected to achieve optimalskin health or to best complement the taurine and the magnesium.

The oral supplement of micronutrients may additionally comprisemicronutrients such as vitamins and/or minerals. The micronutrients areselected from the group consisting of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2,vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D,vitamin E, vitamin K, Folic Acid, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous,Iodine, Potassium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Copper, Choline, Inositol,Omega 3 fatty acids, Lycopene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

In some embodiments, an oral treatment or a topical treatment of aneonate or an infant who has acne is provided. The oral or topicaltreatment may be used for prevention of acne in the neonate or theinfant. The oral or topical treatment has a high dose of taurine and alow dose of magnesium. In some embodiments, the age of the neonate orthe infant can range from about 1 day to about 2 years. The neonate orthe infant can be a male. The neonate or the infant can be a female. Insome embodiments, the neonate or the infant has had acne for about 1day. The neonate or the infant may have had acne for about 2 years.

The weight of the neonate or the infant may range from about 2 to about15 lbs. The weight of the neonate or the infant may be lower than about2 lbs. The weight of the neonate or the infant may be higher than about15 lbs.

In the oral or topical treatment for a neonate or an infant, the dose oftaurine is about 0.15 g per day. In some cases, the dose of taurine mayrange from about 0.05 to about 0.6 g per day. In some embodiments, thedose of taurine is equal to about 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35,0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55 or 0.6 g per day or within a range defined by anytwo of the aforementioned values. The dose of taurine in the oralcomposition may be greater than about 0.01 g per day and less than about2 g per day. In all embodiments, the oral composition additionallycomprises a low dose of magnesium. In some embodiments, the dose ofmagnesium is about 50 mg per day. In some embodiments, the dose ofmagnesium is from about 6.25 to about 125 mg per day. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is equal to about 6.25, 12.5, 25,37.5, 50, 62.5, 75, 87.5, 100, 112.5 or 125 mg per day or within a rangedefined by any two of the aforementioned values. The dose of magnesiumin the oral composition may be greater than about 0.25 mg per day andless than about 0.25 g per day. The oral composition for the neonateand/or infant may be an oral supplement, for example a special babyformula with tau-mag for oral consumption specifically for baby acne. Insome embodiments, the oral composition is taken for about 1 day to about21 days. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken for 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 daysor within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values. Insome embodiments, the oral composition is taken for about 1 to about 52weeks. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken for 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26, 27, 28, 29 or 30 weeks or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values.

In some embodiments, an oral treatment or a topical treatment of apre-teen is provided. The oral or topical treatment may be used forprevention of acne in the pre-teen. The oral treatment has a high doseof taurine and a low dose of magnesium. In some embodiments, the age ofthe pre-teen can range from about 2 years to about 12 years. Thepre-teen can be a male. The pre-teen can be a female. The pre-teen mayhave had acne for about 1 day. The pre-teen may have had acne for about2 years. The weight of the pre-teen may range from about 30 to about 70lbs. The weight of the pre-teen may be lower than about 30 lbs. Theweight of the pre-teen may be higher than about 70 lbs.

In the oral or topical treatment for a pre-teen, the dose of taurine isabout 1.5 g per day. In some cases, the dose of taurine may range fromabout 0.5 to about 6 g per day. In some embodiments, the dose of taurineis equal to about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 or 6 g perday or within a range defined by any two of the aforementioned values.The dose of taurine in the oral composition may be greater than about0.1 g per day and less than about 20 g per day. In some embodiments, theoral composition additionally comprises a low dose of magnesium. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is about 200 mg per day. In someembodiments, the dose of magnesium is from about 25 to about 500 mg perday. In some embodiments, the dose of magnesium is equal to about 25,50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500 mg per day or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values. The dose ofmagnesium in the oral composition may be greater than about 1 mg per dayand less than about 1 g per day. In some embodiments, the oralcomposition is taken for about 1 day to about 21 days. In someembodiments, the oral composition is taken for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 days or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values. In someembodiments, the oral composition is taken for about 1 to about 52weeks. In some embodiments, the oral composition is taken for 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26, 27, 28, 29 or 30 weeks or within a range defined by any two of theaforementioned values.

In some embodiments, any of the oral and/or topical compositionsprovided herein may comprise one or more of analgesic, anti-pyretic oranti-histaminic agents.

In some embodiments, any of the oral and/or topical compositionsprovided herein may be used as a cosmetic composition for treating oneor more dysfunctional pilosebaceous units.

In some embodiments, any of the oral and/or topical compositionsprovided herein may be used as a cosmetic composition in a cosmeticmethod for treating one or more dysfunctional pilosebaceous units.

In some embodiments, any of the topical compositions provided herein maybe formulated as a nanoparticle-based cosmetic composition forcosmetically treating one or more dysfunctional pilosebaceous units. Theone or more nanoparticles efficiently deliver the effective amounts oftaurine and magnesium, sufficient in combination, to the one or moredysfunctional pilosebaceous units.

In some embodiments, any of the topical compositions provided herein maybe may be used as a nanoparticle-based cosmetic composition in acosmetic method for cosmetically treating one or more dysfunctionalpilosebaceous units. The one or more nanoparticles efficiently deliverthe effective amounts of taurine and magnesium, sufficient incombination, to the one or more dysfunctional pilosebaceous units.

In some embodiments, the nanoparticle can be of zinc oxide, titaniumdioxide, gold, silver, platinum, etc. In some embodiments, thenanoparticles can be shaped like nanoplates, rods, shells, wires,prisms, spheres, ovoids, pyramids, cylinders, spirals, cubes, cubiods,ellipsoids, etc. In some embodiments, the nanoparticles can beamorphous.

In some embodiments, the efficiency a nanoparticle-based composition forcosmetically treating one or more dysfunctional pilosebaceous units maybe about 75% to about 100% better than of a composition that is notnanoparticle-based. In some embodiments, the efficiency ananoparticle-based composition for cosmetically treating one or moredysfunctional pilosebaceous units may be about 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75,80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145 or 150%better than of a composition that is not nanoparticle-based or within arange defined by any two of the aforementioned values.

The standard suggested daily dose of topical tau-mag or oral tau-mag isa safe dose, consisting of an amount of taurine that does not exceed theupper observed safe level that has been reported in the scientificliterature, and an amount of magnesium that does not greatly exceed therecommended daily allowance.

EXAMPLES

The following non-limiting examples show Study Volunteer experienceswith various taurine-magnesium treatment regimens. Volunteers werelisted in the chronological order of the start of their taking fulldaily doses of taurine with magnesium.

Severity of acne was the following: Volunteers 1 and 2 had sporadic mildacne, Volunteers 3 and 4 had chronic cyclic mild acne, Volunteer 5 hadchronic acne that appeared to be between mild and moderate, Volunteer 6had chronic severe acne with scarring, Volunteer 7 had chronic moderateacne, Volunteer 8 had frequent mild acne, and Volunteer 9 had acne thatappeared to be between mild and moderate. The oral tau-mag treatmentsused in the following examples appear to be very safe: 6 of theVolunteers experienced no side effects at all, and 3 Volunteers reportedvery mild side effects for the first 2 weeks of treatment only, such asburping or gas.

Example 1

Volunteer 1:

Female, age 54, height 5′3″, weight 105 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Volunteer 1 initially took taurine supplements (500 mg daily) fornutritional reasons, without knowing that taurine might have anyprophylactic or healing effect on acne. One taurine dose per day wastaken with a multivitamin/mineral pill, which contained 50 mg magnesium.Volunteer 1 had been experiencing sporadic break-outs of very mild acne,which stopped with the addition of taurine with the multivitamin/mineralpills, with the exception of one small lesion months later that wascleared in 3 days with a stepped-up dose of 1 g of taurine/day with themultivitamin/mineral pill. Subsequently, acute hints of an impendingacne lesion were mitigated within 1-3 days with a short-term dose of 1.5g/day taurine combined with 200 mg/day magnesium oxide (or 150 mgmagnesium oxide in vitamin/mineral pills). Taurine dose was veryimportant: 1.5 g taurine was much more effective than 500 mg for acuteproblems. The reason that Volunteer 1 was responsive to a taurine doseas low as 500 mg to 1.5 g may have been related to the age-relateddecrease in monthly hormonal fluctuations that can influence acne. Insummary, taurine with magnesium (or with multivitamin/mineral pills thatcontain magnesium) completely cured and continues to prevent acne inVolunteer 1.

Result:

Excellent. Complete sustained clearing of mild acne.

Example 2

Volunteer 2:

Female, age 50, height 5'S″, weight 133 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Recommendation initially was for daily taurine of 1.5 g in 3 divideddoses, without magnesium. After 5 days the treatment was switched to 2g/day taurine with multivitamin/mineral pills containing a total of 150mg magnesium oxide, in divided doses. Volunteer 2 had experienced onlyoccasional acne in adulthood, but in recent months she had beenexperiencing frequent mild breakouts, with lesions few in number butvery noticeable. At the time of treatment Volunteer 2 had 3 significantacne lesions. Although there was no improvement after 5 days of taurinealone, after 7 days on the combined taurine-magnesium (withmultivitamin/mineral) treatment, the Volunteer's skin was beautifullyclear, so she stopped treatment, other than occasional low doses for thepurpose of overall skin health, and has remained free of acne for 2years.

Result:

Excellent. Complete clearing of mild acne, even after treatment ended.

Example 3

Volunteer 3:

Female, age 29, height 5′3″, weight 118.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial recommendation was for daily 1.5 g taurine (in divided doses, 1g and 500 mg) with 200 mg magnesium oxide taken with the first dailytaurine dose. Volunteer 3 typically had menstrual acne, starting theweek before her period, with lesions few in number but often deep andbothersome, and she sometimes had acne during other parts of her cycle.After 4 days of taurine-magnesium treatment coinciding with menstrualacne, Volunteer 3 stopped treatment temporarily and resumed treatmentafter about 2 weeks, during mid-cycle. She opted then to take eachtaurine dose with a multivitamin/mineral pill containing magnesium oxide(total magnesium oxide daily was 100 mg). She cleared completely andstayed clear throughout her next menstrual period. About a week afterher period ended, she stopped taurine-magnesium treatment, and her skinstayed beautifully clear for another week before showing some acneagain. Even though her taurine-magnesium treatment was of shortduration, her acne after treatment became so light over the next 21months that she was usually clear. The results of her short treatmentappear to be excellent and effective long-term.

Result:

Excellent. Complete clearing of mild acne for duration of menstrualcycle while on treatment, then long-term cessation of most acne activityeven without further treatment.

Example 4

Volunteer 4:

Female, age 27, height 5′10″, weight 164 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial recommendation was for daily 1.5 g taurine (a low dose for theVolunteer's weight) with 200 mg magnesium oxide. Volunteer 4 hadexperienced mild acne during teenage years, and then again during adultyears after getting off birth control pills a few years ago. Althoughusually her acne was very mild, she was especially prone to pronouncedacne lesions during her menstrual periods and the week before eachperiod. She had not had completely clear skin in years. For the firstweek, Volunteer 4 took taurine only, with slight improvement. For thenext couple of weeks Volunteer 4 complied only sporadically with hertreatment regimen. After she started taking her doses consistently, heracne reduced rapidly over several days, but without quite clearingcompletely, and then it returned with the approach of her menstrualperiod. Therefore, the recommended dose was increased to 2 g taurinedaily (still low for her weight), and the form of magnesium was switchedto 150 mg magnesium citrate (more soluble and bioavailable thanmagnesium oxide). Nine days later, Volunteer 4 reported that her skinwas the clearest it had been in over a year, but she subsequentlyexperienced break-outs after consecutive days of poor compliance. Uponresuming full treatment, her skin cleared rapidly and completely, forthe first time in years. She broke out slightly during her next period,and then had inconsistent compliance for a couple of weeks. She resumedfull doses and within a week cleared completely, even though she was onher menstrual period for part of that time. Two weeks later Volunteer 4reported that she had stayed on her regular dose of taurine withmagnesium and had very clear skin. Shortly thereafter, Volunteer 4stopped treatment in preparation for pregnancy. Thus, no conclusions canbe drawn with respect to whether or not she would have stayed clearthroughout consecutive menstrual cycles.

Result:

Very good. Complete clearing of mild acne.

Example 5

Volunteer 5:

Male, age 26 (started treatment at age 25), height 5′9″, weight 150 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial recommendation was for daily 2 g taurine with 200 mg magnesiumoxide in divided doses. Volunteer 5 had had an acne problem sinceteenage years. His degree of acne seemed worse than mild because many ofhis acne lesions had an unusual appearance, starting out as flat brightred spots, roughly ¼-½ cm in diameter, which days or weeks later eruptedinto acne lesions that were often deep. After 17 days taking 2 g taurinewith 200 mg magnesium citrate daily, he continued to break out, althoughthe lesions were less deep and did not last as long. The treatment dosewas then increased to 3 g/day taurine and 200 mg/day magnesium citrate.Within 3 days, very good clearing was achieved. The acne was reduced tothe remnants of 4 lesions, and the Volunteer looked much better thanwhen he began treatment. Two weeks later his skin was clearer, althoughnot completely clear. After several months of taking taurine-magnesiuminconsistently, he reported that whereas a dose of 3 g of taurine withmagnesium was very effective against his acne, a dose of 2 g of taurinewith magnesium was slow to clear it. After a few more months, he stoppedtaking taurine-magnesium, even though he had experienced good clearingand no side effects, because he disliked the inconvenience of having toremember to take pills 3 times a day. In summary, the Volunteer's skinwas very sensitive to changes in taurine dose, breaking out easily whendoses were missed. When he took his full doses of taurine-magnesium fora couple of consecutive weeks, however, he improved by about 90%.

Result:

Good. About 90% improvement was observed of acne that appeared to bemild to moderate.

Example 6

Volunteer 6:

Female, age 24, height 5′3″, weight 155 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial treatment regimen was 3 g taurine with 200 mg magnesium. TheVolunteer had severe acne, which had started with blemishes at age 10 or11. Scarring on her cheeks was extensive, with many pitted scars. Hercheeks, jaw-line, and upper neck area looked very swollen and bumpy,likely indicating substantial acne beneath the skin surface, and theseareas were prone to deep long-lasting acne lesions. The Volunteer hadtried various anti-acne products over the years, but none had worked forher. Within the first 2 weeks of taurine-magnesium treatment, theVolunteer noticed that the duration of lesions was shorter and that theindentation of scars seemed less deep than before. At this time, it wasrecommended that the Volunteer also take a daily multivitamin/mineralpill to prevent common micronutrient deficiencies that could interferewith treatment. Over the next 2 weeks, the Volunteer experiencedsignificant improvement: swelling of the main acne areas greatlydecreased, noticeably changing the shape of her face, especially in thelower cheeks and along the jaw-line; the texture of her skin wassmoother; and most lesions were smaller. Over the subsequent 3 weeks,the swelling of her inflamed acne areas continued to decrease, and mostof the redness of her cheeks disappeared; although she had a couple ofpronounced new acne lesions, the old lesions were either gone or hadflattened, and new lesions tended to be of much shorter duration. Shelooked about 10 years younger than at the start of treatment, and heroverall improvement appeared to be about 75%. However, in the followingweek the Volunteer experienced no improvement, and in the week followingthat, she experienced a partial reversal: the main acne-prone areasbegan swelling again and breaking out, but not as badly as beforetreatment. Over the next 3 weeks her degree of swelling fluctuated, andher neck area had many red flat lesions. It was recommended that shestop taking the multivitamin/mineral pill because it contained a largeamount of vitamin B-12, and there are reports that high doses of vitaminB-12 sometimes lead to acne. Over the next few months her conditioncontinued to fluctuate, with the main problem near the jaw-line andneck, although she still looked better than before treatment. Duringthese months she was recommended to try lecithin (phosphatidylcholine)for a few weeks, for lipid droplet stabilization in interacting with themagnesium; she was also recommended the RDA of zinc, to facilitatetaurine utilization by cells, even though she had tried zinc for acneunsuccessfully prior to starting taurine-magnesium treatment.Approximately 6 months after her improvement started reversing, theVolunteer improved again to around the 75% level, as the acne activityalong the jaw-line and on the neck became low, although her conditionfluctuated from week to week. She continued taking zinc, but notlecithin. Months later she was recommended to start taking vitamin Ddaily to enhance taurine transport across cell membranes. At lastreport, a couple of months later, the Volunteer was doing very well ontaurine-magnesium treatment, at around the 85% improvement level. Herremaining acne was mild, and scarring was greatly mitigated. She lookedvery different from the way she looked at the start of treatment, with anormal jaw-line that was no longer hugely swollen with acne, even thoughshe had not lost any weight during her treatment to account for thechange in facial features. For someone with severe acne, a highertreatment dose could be investigated.

Result:

Fairly good improvement. Severe acne improved, eventually to about the85% level, resulting in a dramatic beneficial alteration in her facialappearance.

Example 7

Volunteer 7:

Male, age 20, height 5′11″, weight 170 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial recommendation for the Volunteer was for daily 3 g taurine with200 mg magnesium citrate, in divided doses. The recommendation afterweek 2, in addition to the taurine-magnesium, was for amultivitamin/mineral with lunch. The Volunteer's degree of acne wasmoderate, with numerous acne bumps on the forehead and cheeks as well assome large blemishes on the forehead, both sides of the face, and theupper neck. He had experienced acne continuously for 5 years, and he hadused an over-the-counter acne product after the first year that seemedto significantly worsen his acne. It was reported that 4 months prior totaurine-magnesium treatment, the Volunteer's acne had been more severe.In the first 2 weeks of taurine-magnesium treatment, the Volunteer'sface noticeably began to clear. Over the next 2 weeks, his acne bumpsand old lesions were reduced in depth and number, new lesions weresuperficial rather than deep, and the redness of his complexiondisappeared. Over the next 4 weeks his skin cleared to over 90%improvement, as the acne bumps were virtually gone, and most of theremaining lesions were just flat red dots. At that time it wasrecommended that the Volunteer stop taking the multivitamin/mineralbecause it had a high level of vitamin B-12 that could possibly inducean acne flare-up. Over the next 6 weeks, new lesions were not verynoticeable and usually cleared within days, and scars continued to fade.By the end of week 15, the Volunteer's skin was completely clear. TheVolunteer began taking zinc at 25 mg every other day to help withtaurine utilization. He frequently experienced very minor breakouts thatcleared quickly. Over the next half-year his skin condition fluctuatedaround the 95% improvement level. He then decreased his taurine dose toa maintenance dose of 2 g daily and stayed at about the same level ofimprovement for about 4 months, before clearing completely for severalweeks at last report. Of note also is that a few months into histreatment his depression lifted.

Result:

Very good. Moderate acne of 5 years' duration cleared completely in 15weeks, with only minor lesions appearing sporadically in the followingweeks.

Example 8

Volunteer 8:

Male, age 28, height 5′8″, weight 165 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Initial recommendation was for 2 g/day taurine with 200 mg/day magnesiumin 2 divided doses for the first week, and for 3 g/day taurine with 200mg/day magnesium for the second week and thereafter. The Volunteerusually experienced at least very mild acne, with non-superficiallesions mainly restricted to the beard area, and recently his acne hadworsened, making shaving in the chin area uncomfortable. At the end ofthe first week the Volunteer showed noticeable improvement, with aclearing of the few lesions from the sides of his face. At the end ofweek 2, the Volunteer had significant old and new lesions on the chin,but was clear otherwise, and he reported the hue of his skin beingbetter. At the end of week 3, the Volunteer reported no significantchange, and was recommended a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement inaddition to taurine-magnesium. Two days later, Volunteer 8 reported thathis chin lesions had diminished. By the end of week 4, the remaininglesions were flat and had almost disappeared. By the end of week 5, hisacne had cleared completely.

Result:

Excellent. Mild acne cleared completely in 5 weeks while on treatment.

Example 9

Volunteer 9:

Female, age 22, height 5′6″, weight 140 lbs.

Treatment Regimen:

Volunteer 9 started with 3 g/day taurine and 300 mg/day magnesium, in 3divided doses. The Volunteer had mild acne for a couple of years, whichrapidly worsened when she moved to a residence dependent on reddishwell-water with very high iron content. By the time the Volunteerstarted taurine-magnesium treatment 6 weeks later, her degree of acneseemed to be between mild and moderate. The most significant of her acnelesions were about a dozen pronounced raised lesions in the cheekboneareas. Clearing during the first 6 weeks of her taurine-magnesiumtreatment was good, with an overall improvement estimated by theVolunteer to be 70%, taking into account the number and depth oflesions. Then Volunteer 9 abruptly cut her dose to 2000 mg taurine and200 mg magnesium and worsened considerably over 3 weeks until sheresumed a taurine dose of 3000 mg, at which time she slowly improvedover 10 weeks. Upon moving to a residence with clear water, she improvedquickly and significantly with treatment within one week, to about the90% level, and then ended treatment.

Result:

Overall good but variable improvement, with degree of clearingapparently influenced by water quality.

A summary of the treatment regimens and treatment outcomes in the above9 working examples is presented in the TABLE 1. The data provided in theExamples support the surprising conclusion that relatively high doses oftaurine together with magnesium provide excellent treatment and in somecases prevention of mild to severe acne. TABLE 1 does not reflect allinstances of all micronutrient supplements taken by the Volunteers. Asdescribed in the Examples, some Volunteers, in addition to taking theirrecommended supplements of taurine and magnesium, for some weeks ormonths took other micronutrient supplements or even amultivitamin/mineral supplement containing an extra low dose ofmagnesium. Where the volunteers complied with the recommended treatmentregimen, all subjects experienced major improvement, with most enjoyingfrom 90% to 100% clearing of their acne lesions.

TABLE 1 Summary of Treatment Observations Treatment TAU Mg TreatmentTreatment Presentation (mg/day) (mg/day) Period Outcome Volunteer 1Mild/sporadic 500 50 >8 weeks Lesion-free Break-out lesion 1000 150 1-3days Lesion cleared Acute impending lesion 1500 200 1-3 days Lesionprevented Volunteer 2 Mild acne with 1500 0 5 days No improvementnoticeable lesions 2000 150 7 days Lesions cleared Volunteer 3 Mild acne1500 100 Almost Lesion-free 4 weeks post-treatment mostly clear for next21 months Volunteer 4 Mild acne 1500 0 7 days Slight Break-out lesionswith improvement menstrual period 1500 200 >3 days Improvement 2000150 >3 weeks Lesions cleared Volunteer 5 Acne in between mild 2000 20017 days Slight and moderate improvement 3000 200 3 days Majorimprovement 3000 200 2 weeks 90% clear Volunteer 6 Severe acne 3000 2002 weeks Slight improvement 2 weeks Significant improvement 3 weeks 75%clearing 2 weeks 40% clearing 6 months 75% clearing 8 months 85%clearing Volunteer 7 Moderate acne 3000 200 13 weeks 95% clear withnoticeable deep lesions Volunteer 8 Mild acne 2000 200 1 weekImprovement 3000 200 4 weeks Lesion-free Volunteer 9 Acne in betweenmild 3000 300 6 weeks 70% clearing and moderate 2000 200 3 weeks Nooverall clearing 3000 200 10 weeks Improvement 3000 200 1 week, 90%clearing with clear water

Additional Treatment Scenarios Scenario 1—Topical Spot Treatment forMild/Sporadic or Break-Out Lesions or Acute Impending Lesions

The subject can present with mild/sporadic or break-out lesions or acuteimpending lesions. The subject may have had mild/sporadic or break-outlesions for 1 day to several days. A composition can be administered asa topical treatment. The topical treatment can be in the form of a gelor a cream. The composition is topically applied at the site of themild/sporadic or break-out lesion or acute impending lesion. The topicaltreatment gel or cream comprises a combination of an amount of taurineand an amount of magnesium sufficient to treat mild/sporadic orbreak-out lesions or prevent acute impending lesions. The concentrationsfor taurine and magnesium in the spot treatment embodiments would bewithin the ranges given for taurine and magnesium in the other topicalembodiments. For example, the amount of taurine can be about 500 mg per½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. The amount of magnesium can be about100 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. Additionally, the topicaltreatment composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.The subject can apply the gel or the cream two to four times a day atthe site of the mild/sporadic or break-out lesion or the acute impendinglesion. The subject can apply the gel/cream for about 1 week. After 1week of application of the gel or the cream, the mild/sporadic orbreak-out lesions may be cleared and the acute impending lesionsprevented.

Scenario 2—Topical Spot Treatment for Severe Acne

The subject can present with severe acne. The subject may have hadsevere acne for several days to several months. A composition of thepresent disclosure can be administered as a topical treatment. Thetopical treatment can be in the form of a gel or a cream. Thecomposition is topically applied at the site of severe acne. The topicaltreatment gel or cream comprises a combination of an amount of taurineand an amount of magnesium sufficient to treat the severe acne.Additionally, the topical treatment composition can comprise othertherapeutic components such as an analgesic to reduce the painassociated with severe acne. Furthermore, the topical treatmentcomposition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Theconcentrations for taurine and magnesium in the spot treatmentembodiments would be within the ranges given for taurine and magnesiumin the other topical embodiments. For example, the amount of taurine canbe about 1000 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. The amount ofmagnesium can be about 150 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream.The subject can apply the gel or the cream two to four times a day atthe site of the mild/sporadic or break-out lesion or the acute impendinglesion.

The subject can apply the gel/cream for about 1-4 months. After 1-4months of application of the gel or the cream, the severe acne may besignificantly improved or cleared.

Scenario 3—Nanoparticle-Based Topical Spot Treatment

The subject can present with severe acne. The subject may have hadsevere acne for several days to several months. The composition is ananoparticle-based cosmetic composition for cosmetically treating one ormore dysfunctional pilosebaceous units causing severe acne. Thecomposition of the present disclosure can be administered as a topicaltreatment. The topical treatment can be in the form of a gel or a cream.The composition is topically applied at the site of severe acne. Thetopical treatment gel or cream can comprise gold nanoparticles shaped inthe form of nanospheres that are coated with a combination of an amountof taurine and an amount of magnesium in a pharmaceutically acceptablecarrier. The combination of an amount of taurine and an amount ofmagnesium is sufficient to treat the severe acne. Additionally, thetopical treatment composition can comprise other therapeutic componentssuch as an analgesic to reduce the pain associated with severe acne. Thenanoparticles efficiently deliver the composition to the one or moredysfunctional pilosebaceous units causing severe acne. Theconcentrations for taurine and magnesium in the spot treatmentembodiments would be within the ranges given for taurine and magnesiumin the other topical embodiments. For example, the amount of taurine canbe about 200 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. The amount ofmagnesium can be about 50 mg per ½ teaspoon of the gel or the cream. Thesubject can apply the gel or the cream once a day at the sites of severeacne. The subject can apply the gel/cream for about 1-2 weeks. After 1-2weeks of application of the gel or the cream, the severe acne lesionsmay be significantly improved or cleared.

Definitions

As used herein, the section headings are for organizational purposesonly and are not to be construed as limiting the described subjectmatter in any way. All literature and similar materials cited in thisapplication, including but not limited to, patents, patent applications,articles, books, treatises, and internet web pages are expresslyincorporated by reference in their entirety for any purpose. Whendefinitions of terms in incorporated references appear to differ fromthe definitions provided in the present teachings, the definitionprovided in the present teachings shall control. It will be appreciatedthat there is an implied “about” prior to the temperatures,concentrations, times, etc discussed in the present teachings, such thatslight and insubstantial deviations are within the scope of the presentteachings herein.

In at least some of the previously described embodiments, one or moreelements used in an embodiment can interchangeably be used in anotherembodiment unless such a replacement is not technically feasible. Itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various otheromissions, additions and modifications may be made to the methods andstructures described above without departing from the scope of theclaimed subject matter. All such modifications and changes are intendedto fall within the scope of the subject matter, as defined by theappended claims.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural unlessspecifically stated otherwise. Also, the use of “comprise”, “comprises”,“comprising”, “contain”, “contains”, “containing”, “include”,“includes”, and “including” are not intended to be limiting. It is to beunderstood that both the foregoing general description and the followingdetailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are notrestrictive. Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific termsused herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one ofordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one”or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articlesused to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should beinterpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the barerecitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at leasttwo recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in thoseinstances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C,etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the senseone having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “asystem having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not belimited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and Ctogether, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” wouldinclude but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those withinthe art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting twoor more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, ordrawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities ofincluding one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. Forexample, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include thepossibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are describedin terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize thatthe disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individualmember or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

As will be understood by one of skill in the art, for any and allpurposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible sub-rangesand combinations of sub-ranges thereof. Any listed range can be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein canbe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the likeinclude the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequentlybroken down into sub-ranges as discussed above. Finally, as will beunderstood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individualmember. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 articles refers to groupshaving 1, 2, or 3 articles. Similarly, a group having 1-5 articlesrefers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 articles, and so forth.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certainembodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will understand thatthe present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosedembodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of theinvention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Inaddition, while several variations of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope ofthis invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the artbased upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that variouscombinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects ofthe embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of theinvention. It should be understood that various features and aspects ofthe disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, oneanother in order to form varying modes or embodiments of the disclosedinvention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present inventionherein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosedembodiments described above.

The terminology used in the description presented herein is not intendedto be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner. Rather, theterminology is simply being utilized in conjunction with a detaileddescription of embodiments of the systems, methods and relatedcomponents. Furthermore, embodiments may comprise several novelfeatures, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirableattributes or is believed to be essential to practicing the inventionsherein described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for decreasing sebum in a subject inneed thereof, the method comprising administering a compositioncomprising an effective amount of taurine, thereby decreasing sebum insebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subject.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the effective amount of taurine is about 500 mg toabout 4000 mg per day.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasingsebum in the sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subjectis achieved by inhibiting LXR-alpha-induced lipogenesis within thesebaceous glands by the effective amount of taurine.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein administering the composition is oral, topical, orboth.
 5. A method for decreasing sebum in a subject in need thereof, themethod comprising administering a composition comprising an effectiveamount of magnesium, thereby decreasing sebum in sebaceous glands,sebaceous ducts, or both of the subject.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein the effective amount of magnesium is about 50 mg to about 500 mgper day.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein decreasing sebum in sebaceousglands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subject is achieved byactivating magnesium-activated protein kinase phosphorylation-inducedbreakdown of large lipid droplets within the sebaceous glands, sebaceousducts, or both by the effective amount of magnesium.
 8. The method ofclaim 5, wherein administering the composition is oral, topical, orboth.
 9. A method for decreasing sebum in a subject in need thereof, themethod comprising administering a combination comprising an effectiveamount of taurine and an effective amount of magnesium, therebydecreasing sebum in sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of thesubject.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the effective amount oftaurine is about 500 mg to about 4000 mg per day.
 11. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the effective amount of magnesium is about 50 mg toabout 500 mg per day.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein decreasingsebum in the sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subjectis achieved by inhibiting LXR-alpha-induced lipogenesis within thesebaceous glands by the effective amount of taurine.
 13. The method ofclaim 9, wherein decreasing sebum in sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts,or both of the subject is achieved by activating magnesium-activatedprotein kinase phosphorylation-induced breakdown of large lipid dropletswithin the sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both by the effectiveamount of magnesium.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein administeringthe composition is oral, topical, or both.
 15. A combination comprisingan effective amount of taurine and an effective amount of magnesium,wherein the effective amounts of taurine and magnesium decrease sebum insebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of a subject.
 16. Thecombination of claim 15, wherein the effective amount of taurine is 500mg to about 4000 mg per day.
 17. The combination of claim 15, whereinthe effective amount of magnesium is about 50 mg to about 500 mg perday.
 18. The combination of claim 15, wherein the composition isadministered orally, topically, or both.
 19. The combination of claim15, wherein the effective amounts of taurine and magnesium decreasesebum in sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subject byinhibiting LXR-alpha-induced lipogenesis within the sebaceous glands bythe effective amount of taurine.
 20. The combination of claim 15,wherein the effective amounts of taurine and magnesium decrease sebum insebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, or both of the subject by activatingmagnesium-activated protein kinase phosphorylation-induced breakdown oflarge lipid droplets within the sebaceous glands, sebaceous ducts, orboth by the effective amount of magnesium.